Ostrander, Barbara J. (1930-2019)

OSTRANDER, SCHAEFER, HALVORSON, HUMBURG, MATTHIES, O’NEAL

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 12/13/2019 at 20:46:47

Barbara J. Ostrander
May 2, 1930 ~ October 20, 2019

Barbara died on October 20, 2019, having lived in Blue Earth, Minnesota, Rake, Iowa, and Buffalo Center, Iowa. She traveled the world and much of America in a revamped school bus camper with her family by her side.

Barbara Ostrander was born on May 2, 1930, to Elmer and Mabel Halvorson Schaefer. While she was still a young girl, Frieda Humburg Schaefer became her second mother. Although Frieda was German, she thought it important to continue the Norwegian traditions of Mom’s birth mother in their family. Thus, we came to embrace both Norwegian and German holiday traditions. That created a spark for how Barb viewed the nature of “family.”

Loving wife and sweetheart of Grant; sister to Vivian (Marv – deceased) Johnson, Roger (Fran) Schaefer, Kathleen (Denny) Matthies, Warren (Sandy) Schaefer, and Ray (Nancy) Ostrander; mother to Dean, David, Glen (Sue), Linda (Ross) O’Neal, and Kim (Mark) Ostermann; grandma to sixteen, and great-grandma to eleven; aunt to many nieces and nephews; and cousin to many others; three foreign exchange students, also, called her Mom: Jorge (Brazil), Claudia (Germany), AND Terhi (Finland). Moreover, she continued to communicate with them for many years and visited each of them in their home countries.

Always nurturing her family and working as a partner with Grant in the farming operation and in the snowmobile and lawnmower sales and service business, she became a professional volunteer with the Order of the Eastern Star, various church committees and organizations, the Farm Bureau, the PTA, the Cub Scout as a den mother, and as a 4-H leader. Known as Grandma Barb to a generation of Kindergarten students at North Iowa Schools, she volunteered for many years. She was honored with the Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award to help recognize all that she did.

But how do you measure the life of a woman who did so much for so many? By the countless meetings she attended for a multitude of organizations? By the special Valentine’s Day dinners, she fixed (with a white linen table cloth) for her family every year? By the monthly family update letters to all her children for at least thirty years? By the insightful suggestions, guidance and partnership with Grant in the family farming and business operations? By the number of books she listened to as her kids read to her while she did the supper dishes each night? By the log, she kept of every family vacation taken in one of the three buses converted to campers they drove across America over the years?

Do you count the number of sporting events, plays, music performances, scout and 4-H meetings she shuffled five kids to for many years? The hours she spent late at night waiting for each of them to arrive home safely before she drifted off to sleep? The number of times she drove her kids to the swimming pool during the hot, humid Iowa summers? No one had experienced a 4th of July picnic until they joined dozens of family and friends at the Ostranders’! Homemade ice cream and themed cakes became a staple at every birthday party.

Perhaps you measure her life this way: Barb’s memory and cognition began to fail in her final months. During a visit, one of her children jokingly asked her, “Mom, is it really true that you love me the BEST of all your kids?” Her eyes lit up and she very clearly responded, “I’d like to think that each of my kids thought I loved them the MOST!” She sought to measure her life by making the world a better place through the everyday quiet but impactful presence she had on so many people across so many spectrums for so many years. Her life set the standard for how families should work and how servant leadership can make a difference in our world. Rest in peace, dear and loving servant. You will be missed here, but God has a little more help in heaven now!

An informal gathering honoring Barbara Jean Ostrander will be held at The Barn (Gruis Recreation Area, 2724 – 360th Street, Buffalo Center, Iowa 50424) on Saturday, October 26, 2019, starting at 3:00 PM with a brief “Celebration of Life Service” at 4:00 PM lead by Pastor Nathaniel Hedin-Schmidt followed by a time to share memories with the family during a lunch and fellowship. Barb loved wearing the color purple, so if you are so inclined, we encourage you to do the same on this day. In lieu of flowers, the family will be sharing any gifts presented with local charities – many of which Barb supported throughout her life.

Mittelstadt Funeral Home, Lake Mills, Iowa, 2019.

Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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